State Treasurer Walker Stapleton made an interesting post on his Facebook page the other day.

“At a Federalist Society meeting talking to them about PERA over lunch and someone from PERA came to hear me speak! I think PERA has put a tracker on me…a good sign that we are getting through to the public!”

Stapleton, a Republican elected in November after defeating Democratic incumbent Cary Kennedy, has been highly critical of the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association, or PERA, saying its board’s investment assumptions are overly optimistic.

Is PERA really using a political campaign-style “tracker” to follow Stapleton around?

“We are not tracking the state treasurer’s events,” said PERA spokeswoman Katie Kaufmanis. “A PERA staff member attended the mentioned event on his own initiative. The same staff member has long been a regular participant in gatherings of like-minded organizations.”

She said those like-minded groups favor “limited government.”

But Stapleton doubted he had a fan in the audience and said it was more likely the PERA employee was there specifically to hear his speech.

They’re on opposite sides of the medical marijuana issue. Corry is the state’s leading attorney on medical marijuana, and supports legalization. Suthers in February told lawmakers he was on record as “vehemently opposing any legislation that embraces the clinic or dispensary model for distribution of medical marijuana,” and has talked about its societal costs.

The debate will be from noon to 1 p.m. at the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver, in the Ricketson Law Building, Room 190. It is sponsored by the Colorado ACLU and the Federalist Society.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.